Paul LePage's Spring Fling

Our Governor has had a great spring. While the winter was light in Maine and the spring has given us some great warm days the wind has been blowing cold from Augusta.

It is hard to know where to start. First the Governor decided that he would pick a fight with Millinocket. Millinocket a town that has had it's share of budget issues and hard luck. The Governor decided to withhold hundreds of thousands of dollars in emergency aid from the town. Why? Evidently a year or two ago when a new owner was being sought to save the mills LePage claimed a handshake agreement was made that would have had the town contributing to a landfill cleanup cost.

Clearly there is no paper agreement. If there was then this would have been resolved. The question is why is LePage doing this. What is the gain. I, for the life of me, cannot understand it.

Then the Governor let his petulance show when he had a veto overridden on a funding measure having to do with school districts and disabled children. I do not know the full details. What I do know is that his veto was overridden by a Republican controlled legislature. So what did the Governor do? He attacked in a statement Democrat Justin Alfond of Portland calling him " a spoiled brat" and making reference to how he was glad that the young Alfond's " grandad ( Harold Alfond) was not around to see him behaving this way. " This is a ridiculous fight to pick, a personal attack that gains nothing. One has to wonder if LePage is anything more than a bully.

The most concerning issue was his line item veto of the funding relating to General Assistance in the budget. Now it should be remembered that this being the most contentious issue in the budget this year that the Republican controlled legislature approved the budget including the General Assistance Funding. What was most shocking has been the Republican's in the legislature decision to NOT reconvene the legislature to deal with this veto.

One could or should wonder why it is that a budget approved by the State Senate, the Republican controlled Senate, would not vote to reconvene to address a line item veto of that budget. What kind of deal has been struck between LePage and the leadership. Certainly the Governor has had a rocky road with his leadership in the legislature, what has he offered them for this face saving gesture.

I have at times praised LePage, and certainly have felt that he was trying. He is however just not to be trusted. He is the walking example of why we need a runoff rule in statewide elections. Those on the right would say Governor Baldacci was an example and they would raise a valid point as well.

No one believes that with this rule in place that LePage would be Governor. We would be much better off for it.

He is a buffoon and a bully and should the Democrats gain seats in the fall election on the President's coattails the next session of the legislature should make this one seem like it was mild.